A Look Around the World. The start of the school year varies widely around the world depending on the country’s climate, culture, and education system. Let’s take a look at when students go back to school in different continents — the USA, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia.
🇺🇸 United States
In the United States, the school year usually begins in August or early September. Most schools follow a summer vacation from June to August, and then classes start again at the end of summer. Some southern states begin earlier, in late July, due to regional calendar differences.
🇪🇺 Europe
In Europe, the school start dates differ from country to country.
- Northern Europe (like Norway, Finland, Sweden): school starts in mid-August.
- Western Europe (France, Germany, UK): schools reopen in early September.
- Southern Europe (Italy, Spain, Greece): students return in mid-September.
Most European schools finish in late June or early July before the summer break.
🇨🇳 Asia
In Asia, the school calendar also varies widely.
- East Asia (China, Japan, South Korea): schools start in April or September, depending on the system.
- South Asia (India, Pakistan): many schools begin in June or July after the hot summer.
- Southeast Asia (Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines): schools often start between May and June.
🌍 Africa
In Africa, school schedules depend largely on the climate.
- North Africa (Egypt, Morocco): schools typically start in September.
- Sub-Saharan Africa (Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria): start times differ — for example, South Africa’s school year begins in January, while Kenya and Nigeria start around September.
🇦🇺 Australia
In Australia, the school year follows the southern hemisphere’s calendar. Schools start in late January or early February and finish in December, with breaks in between terms. This timing matches Australia’s summer, which runs from December to February.
🗓️ Summary
| Continent | Typical School Start |
|---|---|
| USA | August – September |
| Europe | August – September |
| Asia | April – September (varies) |
| Africa | January – September (varies) |
| Australia | January – February |
💬 In Short
Question: When does school start?
Answer: It depends on where you live! In the U.S. and Europe, schools start in August or September; in Asia, it can be from April to July; in Africa, January or September; and in Australia, January or February